BLACK SHAKESPEARES.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13736, 30 May 1913, Page 2

BLACK SHAKESPEARE S.

Tho blacks of Central Africa aro wonderful in poetry, Mr Dan Crawford, the missionary, said in a lecture at tho Bechstcin Hall recently. They had a glorious flood of subtle, language, a whole set of beautiful idioms, and lovely, subt/.\ «inuous verbs. They had 19 genders, and 19 different forms of one pronoun. In poetry the black was about ten Shnkcspearos rolled into ono. "I was guilty of a poor little phrase. 'Roavt>ir is beyond tho stars,' " said j\Jr L'vau ford. "My native boy took it, poured it into the melting-pot, and cut it ramo in this form : 'The stars aro tho lights Me'lias h ft burning along tho dark roads that leads up to His city.' "